Easter Spending to Rise as Spring Fashions, Candy Lure Shoppers

It appears shoppers will be buying a lot more brightly colored outfits and chocolate bunnies this Easter.

Americans will shell out about $145.28 each on everything from candy and food to clothing for the holiday, up 11% from $131.04 last spring, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. Total spending on the holiday is projected to hit $16.8 billion.

Indeed, 48.5% of the 9,242 consumers polled said they'll shop stores' spring sales for colorful frocks and fashion accessories, planning to spend about 21% more than last year, the survey said.

"Unseasonably warm weather has played a great role in consumers' appetite for purchasing apparel," Kathy Grannis, an NRF spokeswoman, tells DailyFinance.

The American sweet tooth is also growing: Spending on candy will rise to about $20.35, compared to $18.55 in 2011.

And consumers will also increase spending on Easter meals: $44.34, compared to $40.05 last year.

As for where they'll shop for Easter-related purchases? A large fraction will hit the department stores -- more than four in 10 shoppers, or 42.6%, the highest percentage in the survey's history, the NRF says.

Also, no surprise, a rising number of people will shop online: An estimated 18.7% will hit the web for Easter finds, up from 14.8% last year.

But the lion's share of holiday purchases -- 63.5% -- will be made at local discount stores.

Here's some of the spring fashions retailers are playing up this season.